The variety of services provided via existing telephone lines and coaxial cable networks has been steadily increasing for some time. Recent technological advances, such as technological advances in the fields of data compression and data encryption as well as digital signature techniques for permitting the validation of messages, has significantly increased both the number of services provided via existing telephone lines and coaxial cable networks as well as the demand for such services by subscribers. In this regard, subscribers are becoming more accustomed to the provision of such services via existing telephone lines or existing coaxial cable networks, and also are becoming more comfortable with the security measures taken to ensure the confidentiality of the transmitted information.
For example, cable television network operators already provide addressed message transmissions, pay-per-view programming, impulse pay-per-view programming, favorite channel features, and parental control features. Cable television network operators can also provide text services such as news articles, sport scores, stock market quotations and weather reports. More recently, cable television network operators have proposed to provide additional features such as video game delivery, digital audio services, wide area network access, travel reservations services, home banking services, energy management services, video conferencing, burglary and fire alarm services, and home shopping services. As such, interactive information services systems have been developed that utilize existing telephone lines and coaxial cable networks to provide these additional services to the subscribers.
Interactive information services systems include one or more service providers, one or more subscribers who may purchase the items offered by the service providers, and a network operator for providing the communications network between the service providers and the subscribers. For example, operators of existing cable television networks increasingly serve as the network operator by providing a communications network over which the various services offered by the service providers are delivered to the subscribers. With respect to some of the services, the network operator is also the service provider. For example, a cable television network is a network operator, but may also be a service provider for the provision of pay-per-view programming and the like. In many instances, however, third party service providers, i.e., service providers other than the network operator, provide the various services delivered via the communications network established by the network operator. For example, third party service providers typically provide travel reservations services, home banking services, home shopping services and the like.
In order to offer an even broader array of services, interactive information services systems have linked existing communications networks, such as existing telephone networks or existing cable television networks, with the Internet. For example, Le Groupe Videotron and WebTV offer interactive information services systems that have linked a cable television network with the Internet.
One particularly popular Internet-based service is home shopping. While home shopping has been provided by cable television networks for some time, the variety of shopping possibilities offered by the Internet-based merchants are much more numerous and diverse. Cable television network providers are often reluctant to provide their subscribers with the extensive home shopping services offered by Internet-based merchants since these additional services would likely decrease viewership for cable television programming. In addition, in instances in which the network operator does not provide the service, the network operator will not be compensated for the transactions conducted via their network. As such, although the network operator may provide the communications network for numerous transactions that involve significant amounts of money in the aggregate, the network operator will generally not receive a share or percentage of the transactions' value.
In view of the importance of the telephone lines or the coaxial cable network provided by the network operator that serve as the conduit through which these additional services, such as home shopping services, are provided, at least some network operators are desirous of charging a fee or a toll based upon the dollar value or the number of transactions between the various service providers and the subscribers. In addition, some network operators are desirous of obtaining this information relating to the number of transactions and the dollar value of the transactions in a manner that is independent of the service providers, such that the network operators need not rely upon the service providers for this information.